Corydalis plant named ‘Berry Exciting’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct form of  Corydalis  plant characterized by its striking soft yellow to lime green foliage, purple flowers, a spreading habit, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Corydalis shimienensis.

Variety description: ‘Berry Exciting’.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Corydalis, of the family Papaveraceae, known by the cultivar name, ‘Berry Exciting’. This plant originated from a mutation in tissue culture from Corydalis shimienensis ‘Blackberry Wine’, an unpatented plant.

This plant is made unique by the soft yellow to lime green color of its foliage. It has the vigor, spreading habit, and purple flowers of Corydalis sp. ‘Blackberry Wine’.

The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (division and micropropagation). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and micropropagation as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The drawing shows a one-year-old Corydalis ‘Berry Exciting’ grown in a one gallon container in bloom in spring in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Corydalis cultivar based on observations of less than one-year-old specimens grown in the greenhouse in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

-   Plant:     -   -   Form.—Clumping, herbaceous perennial.         -   Cold hardiness.—USDA Zone 5.         -   Size.—Grows to 20 cm tall to top of foliage and 65 cm wide.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Roots.—Fibrous, somewhat succulent, white in color, roots             develop easily from divisions. -   Stem:     -   -   Type.—Decumbent, pentagonal in cross section.         -   Size.—Grows to 50 cm long and 3 mm wide.         -   Internodes.—Grow to 11 cm long.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous.         -   Color.—Grey Brown 199A. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Pinnately decompound, ternate.         -   Arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Shape.—Deltoid in outline, each leaflet is ovate to             rhomboid.         -   Lobing/Division.—Each leaflet is irregularly 0 to 3-cleft             and the terminal 2-parted and 2-lobed, each lobe entire and             mucronate, long petiolate.         -   Venation.—Palmate.         -   Margins.—Each lobe is entire on sides.         -   Apex.—Mucronate.         -   Base.—Cuneate, oblique.         -   Blade size.—Grows to 13 cm long and 16 cm wide.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous.         -   Petiole description.—Grows to 10 cm long and 2.5 mm wide,             rachis grows to 5.5 cm long, petiolules grow to 3.5 cm long,             glabrous, Grey Brown 199A.         -   Leaf color.—Top side: newest leaves are Yellow Green 144A,             young leaves are Yellow Green 144B, and older leaves are             Green Yellow 1D with veins and margins Yellow Green 144B.             Bottom side: the same, but slightly duller. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Raceme.         -   Number of flowers.—12 to 14 per raceme.         -   Peduncle description.—Grows to 15 cm long and 2 mm wide,             glabrous, Grey Brown 199A, bracts subtend each pedicel with             the bottom two lobed and leaf-like and rest linear.         -   Pedicel description.—Grow to 9 mm long less than 1 mm wide             and are attached to the base of the spur.         -   Bloom period.—May to November in Canby, Oreg. With very hot             summers this plant will go summer dormant. Blooms best in             cool temperatures of spring and fall. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—2 cm long and 5 mm wide at the widest point prior to             opening.         -   Description.—Shaped like a young tadpole, with the nectary             spur tip curving down.         -   Color.—Violet 85B on nectary spur and top of tube, White             155A on bottom, lobe area is closest to Purple 79D. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—Zygomorphic.         -   Corolla description.—Tubular, 2.7 cm long and 11 mm wide at             lobe area where it is widest; nectary spur extends back from             pedicel for 8 mm and curves slightly down, tube 7 mm long;             upper petal 3 mm wide, 2 mm deep, and 6 mm long, hood-like             and ridged, entire, ovate, and acute; lower petal is clawed             and ridged, claw is 3 mm long and 1.5 mm wide, petal is 3 mm             wide, 6 mm long, 3 mm deep, entire, ovate and acute; the two             apically fused inner petals are 5 mm long and 2.5 mm wide.         -   Color.—Tube and nectary spur are Purple 79D, inner petals,             base of tube, and claw of lower petal are White 155A, the             two outer petals are Violet 83A with edges Purple 79A.         -   Sepal description.—2, minute, less than 1 mm deep and wide,             reniform, dentate, Violet 85D.         -   Pistil description.—One, linear and 11.5 mm long, ovary 7 mm             long and Yellow Green 144A, style 2 mm long and White 155A,             stigma is round and flat, 1 mm in diameter, Yellow Green             144A.         -   Stamen description.—2,9 mm long, filaments 6 mm long, flat             and translucent, White 155A, anthers 1.5 mm round, pollen             Yellow 5D.         -   Fragrance.—Floral.         -   Lastingness.—A raceme blooms for about 3 weeks on the plant. -   Fruit and seed: never seen, believed to be sterile. -   Diseases and pests:

Corydalis are susceptible to aphids, mites, and rust. This new variety has no known immunities.

DESCRIPTION AND COMPARISON OF PARENT PLANT

Corydalis ‘Berry Exciting’ is identical in habit and flower to Corydalis ‘Blackberry Wine’. The only difference is the foliage color. Corydalis ‘Blackberry Wine’ has grass green leaves and Corydalis ‘Berry Exciting’ has lime green to soft yellow colored leaves. 

1. A new and distinct form of Corydalis plant as hereby illustrated and described. 